Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-11-10
CHAPTER Xv.-soRAIs, SONG.

protect us, we should have been slain
CHAPTER XV.-SORAIS' SONG
After our escape from Agon and his pi
Gus crew, we returned to our quarters IN
the palace and had a very good time. The
two queens, the mobiles and the people We'd
with each other in doing us honor and
showering gifts upon us. As for that pain
full little incident of the hippopotami it
sank into oblivion, where we were quite
content to leave it. Every day Populations
and individuals waited on US to examine
our guns and clothing, our chain shirts,
and our instruments, especially our
watches, with which last they were much
delighted. In short We became quite the
rage; SO much SO that some of the fashion
able young swells among the Zu-Vendi be-
gan to copy the cut OF some of our clothes,
notably Sir Henry's shooting-jacket. One
Gay, indeed, a deputatiOn waited Oh Us,
and, as usual, Good donned his fulI-dresa
uniform for the occasion. This deputation
seemed, somehow, to be Of a different
class to those who generally came to visit
US. They were little Notwithstanding
men, of an excessively polite, not to say
servile, demeanor; and their attention ap
peared to be chiefly taken up with observ
ing the details of Goods full-dress uni.
form, of which they took copious notes ani
measurements. Good was much fattered
at the time, not suspecting that he had TO
deal with the six leading tailors of Milosis.
A fortnight afterwards, however, when on
attending court as usual he had the pleas
IRE of seeing some seven or eight Zu-Vendl
.'mashers" arrayed in all the glory of
very fair imitation of his full-dress uni
form. he changed his mind. [ shall never
forget his face of establishment and dis
gust. 1t was after this, that, chiefly in or
der to avoid remark, and also because our
clothes were wearing out and had to be
saved up, we resolved to adopt the native
dress; and very comfortable one we found
it, though / am bound to say that l looked
sufficiently ludicrous in it, and as for AL
phonse! Only Umslopogaas would have
none of these things: when his mocha was
worn out the fierce old Zulu made him a
new one and went about unconcerned, as
grim and naked as his own battle-ax.
Meanwhile we pursued our study of the
language steadily, and made very good
progress. On the morning following our
adventure in the temple, three grave and
reverend seigniOrS presented themselves
armed with manuscript books. inkhOrns,
and feathered pens, and indicated that
they had been sent to teach us; and, with
the exception of Umslopogaas, we all
buckled to with WILL doing four hours a
day. AS for Umslopogaas, he would have
none of that either. He did not wish to
learn that ''woman's talk" not he; and
when one of the teachers advanced on him
with book and an inkhorn and waved
them before him in a mild persuasive way,
much as q churchwarden invitingly shakes
the offertory bag under the nose of a rich
but niggardly parishioner, he sprang up
with fierce oath and flashed Inkosikaasi
before the eyes of our learned friend, and
there was an end of the attempt to teach
him Zu-Vendi.
Thus we spent our mornings in useful
occupation which grew more and more in
teresting as we proceeded, and the after
moons were given up to recreation Some
times we made trips, notably one to the
gold mines and another to the marble
quarries, both of which / wish mad space
and time to describe, and sometimes we
went out hunting buck with dogs trained
for that purpose; and a very exciting sport
it is, as the country is full of agricultural
Enclosures and our horses were magnifi-
cent. This is not to be wondered at, see
ing that the royal stables were at our com
mand, in addition to which we had four
splendid saddle-horses given to us by Ny
leptha.
Sometimes, again, we went hawking, a
pastime that is in great favor among the
Zu-Vendi, who generally fly their birds at
a species of partridge which is remarkable
for the swiftness and strength of it's flight
When attacked by the hawk this bird APP
pears to lose its head, and instead of seek
ing cover, flies high into the air, thus of
fering wonderful sport. 1 have seen one
Of these cartridges soar up almost out of
sight when followed by the hawk. Still
better sport is offered by variety Of soil
tary snipe, as big as a small woodcock
which is plentiful in this country, and
which is flown at with a very small, agile,
and highly trained hawk having an almost
red tail. The zigzagging of the great snipe
and the lightning rapidity of the flight and
movements of the red-tailed hawk make
the pastime a delightful one. Another
variety of the same amusement is the hunt
ing of the very small species of antelope
with trained eagles; and it certainly is q
marvellous sight to see the great bird soar
and soar till he is nothing but q black speck
in the sunlight, and then suddenly come
GaShing down like a cannou-bln upon
some covering buck that is hidden in a
patch of grass from everything except tina:
piercing eye. Still finer is the spectacle
when the eagle takes the buck running
On other days we would pay visits to
the country-seats at some of the great lords
beautiful fortified places, and the Villages
clustering beneath their walls Here we
saw vineyards and cornfields and wen-kept
park-llke grounds. with such timber in
them as filled me with delight, Cor | Go
love a good tree. There it stands so strong
and sturdy, and yet SO beautiful, a very
type of the best sortof man. How proudly
it lifts its bare head to the winter storms,
and with what full heart itrejoices when
the spring has come againl How grand
its voice IS too, when it talks with the
wind; a thousand aolian harps cannot
equal the beauty of the signing OF a great
tree in leaf. All day it points to the sun
shine. ard all night to the stars; and thus